I Think You're Swell
by GallaudetLurker
Summary: Tori comforts Robbie. Takes place at the end of 'The Blonde Squad'. Robbie/Tori RORI. Some Rade if you squint.


**A/N:** Hey everyone! Here I am, and with a Rori one-shot this time. I have to say, it had taken a while for me to write it, but after watching 'The Blonde Squad', I was inspired enough to write it to the end! Who knew that watching _Victorious_ episodes could be so inspirational?

Anyways, here it is. Hope you enjoy. (Be forewarned, it might be so sweet that it might rot your teeth. Or not.)

Also, there is some Rade in there if you squint extremely hard until your facial muscles hurt.

**Disclaimer:** _Victorious_ belongs to Dan Schneider, that guy who has yet to give us a Rade-centric episode.

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**I Think You're Swell**

_By GallaudetLurker_

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Robbie Shapiro was giving up.

After pouring his heart - his delicate, hopeless, and battered-by-years-of-unrequited-love heart - out in the song that he wrote, "I Think You're Swell", all Robbie had received for his consistent and oft-tortuous efforts to attract the attention of a Caterina "Cat" Valentine was these words, drafted in the form of a question.

That infamous question comprising of nine little words.

"Hey, what if I just dye my hair blonde?"

These nine words, these nine _horrible_ words that did much to completely shatter his already-battered heart and blow any chances of a relationship with Cat, as rapidly-diminishing as they were, out of the water. They indicated that Cat remained, as usual, totally oblivious to his feelings, feelings that he had so obviously expressed through his song ("I Think You're Swell") for all the world to hear not five minutes ago.

His frozen stare of disbelief was not noticed by Cat, who fidgeted with her purple stuffed giraffe for a bit before giving Robbie a friendly peck on the cheek and skipping out of the Black Box Theater with a cheerful smile. His hands remained frozen on his guitar as he stared at the empty folding chair that Cat had been sitting so recently, his numb heart shriveling up.

In an alternate reality, he would be cuddling and kissing Cat on his chair right now, feeling completely and utterly happy and blissful as his heart became whole for the first time in his life.

In this current reality, he was alone sitting on the chair, reflecting on how he had thought Cat would get, finally get, the idea of the feelings that he held (was it in the past tense now, or still in the present tense but transitioning to the past tense?) for her. But as usual, his luck ran out on him, the world cruelly snubbed him in the most humiliating way, and fate turned its back on him.

For the first time in his life, Robbie was giving up. Giving up on hope. He had been long aware of his horrible luck with girls, and knew (even if he denied it, even to himself) that he would never ever get one, and now he was beginning to believe it himself, after holding out the delusion for so long that it would, perhaps just perhaps, change one day.

Sitting there, he felt a sensation flood into him slowly, a sensation that was unfamiliar yet so _familiar_. He felt the heavy blanket of despair begin to envelop him, begin to suffocate him and his broken heart in its cold, cruel grip.

He had never felt so _alone_ in his life the way he was feeling right now. The dark walls of the Black Box Theater seemed to be gazing down cruelly at him, sneering at his misery. In the back of his mind, Robbie was fairly sure that had he brought Rex with him, the puppet would be loudly mocking and insulting him and pointing out his "hilarious failures" right now. Perhaps he should have brought Rex with him. Surely, Rex's brutally honest words would probably make him break down but at least he wouldn't be as alone as he was right now.

Feeling his hands tremble, his lips quiver, and his chest get tighter and tighter as the claw of despair tightened its grip on his heart, Robbie felt his eyes become moist. Soon, Robbie covered his face with his left hand, hot tears streaming down his face, and dribbling onto the polished surface of his guitar ("Teardrops On My Guitar", anyone?) as his chest heaved with slight sobs.

So preoccupied with his grief, Robbie didn't hear the double doors of the Theater open and close, nor did he hear soft footsteps paddle up behind him, and neither did he see the person get into the chair next to him.

Robbie jolted with shock as he felt two pairs of arms wrap around his neck, and pull him closer, placing a head on his shoulder. Blinking through his tear-stained eyes, and wiping his tears away, he turned his head to see a dainty wavy-haired figure hugging him and his eyes widened slightly.

Tori Vega.

He was so surprised by this that he didn't know what to say, his mouth opening and closing and over again like a fish out of water.

"T-Tori...?" Robbie managed to take out, his voice slightly choked up from the crying that he had been recently doing.

Tori's response was to cuddle him tighter. After a while, she softened her hug, rubbing his back while giving him a sad smile.

"I'm sorry." Tori said softly, her angelic voice wafting to Robbie's ears. Despite himself, Robbie's lips curled up in a slight chuckle. Only Tori would apologize for something like that, even if she didn't do it.

Shaking his head, Robbie set his guitar down on the floor by his chair, rubbed his eyes some more, and turned his head to Tori. "Don't be sorry, it wasn't your fault." He said, his voice still slightly cracking. He couldn't help but feel a small warm fuzzy feeling begin to form into his chest as he peered into Tori's warm brown chocolate eyes. "If anything, it was mine. I raised my hopes too much, and look what happened..." He said the last part in a bitter tone as he looked away, noting the way the warm feeling dissipated.

"Hey," Tori said as she put her hand on his right shoulder and rubbed it. "Don't blame yourself, Cat is just...Cat. You know that, right?"

Robbie remained silent as he nodded, his eyes still riveted on the floor.

"Robbie," Tori put her hand on Robbie's chin and gently turned his face toward hers, their eyes locking once again. "What you did was wonderful. It was so...so..._sweet_." Robbie felt that warm feeling resurface in his chest once again as he stared into Tori's eyes.

"Y-you heard the song?" Robbie spoke softly, his lips curling up a bit.

Tori nodded, a smile gracing her lips. "Yes, I was walking through the hallway back here when I heard it. Like I said, the song was sweet. I wish my ex-boyfriends did that to me," Tori's face became somber for a brief moment as she looked away, "but Cat...she was lucky to have someone like you to do that for her, to do everything you did for her. I'm sorry she didn't see that." She said in earnest as she turned her eyes back to Robbie.

Robbie nodded his head slowly as he looked at Tori, feeling a bit better (although the heartbreak still hurt and would take a while to heal). Tori had a point there: what he did to Cat was wonderful and sweet, and would probably make any girl swoon (well, with the possible exception of Jade, who would more likely stab him with one of her scissors, but then he didn't know). But it didn't change the fact that his feelings was lost on Cat and that he had perpetually horrible luck with girls. Heck, cheese was probably more luckier than him when it came to getting girls.

"Well...thanks, Tori." Robbie gave her a weak smile. "But let's face it, no matter what I do, I'm never going to get a girl. I've tried all my life, and so far nothing. Trina, Jessica, Christy, Jade, now Cat." He sighed, feeling the blanket of despair begin to wrap itself around his heart again. "Nothing."

"Robbie! Don't say that!" Robbie felt Tori place her hands on his face again and turn it toward her. She was frowning, her eyebrows furrowed into her nose. "You're a sweet person, and a romantic one at that, of course you're going to get a girlfriend someday! Like I said, Cat was lucky to have someone like you, heck any girl would be lucky to have you, even Jade-_wait_, you had a crush on _Jade_?" Her voice was incredulous and laced with something that Robbie couldn't identify.

Robbie felt himself smiling sheepishly. "Um...maybe?" At Tori's narrowed eyes, Robbie continued on, "Well, um, yes I did have a...liking to Jade. It wasn't big, though, and I didn't really pursue her. You know she would kill me with her scissors or use Rex as a bat on me." He didn't know why he felt...obligated to explain himself to Tori.

Heaving out a sigh, Robbie positioned himself so he was facing Tori more, picking Tori's hands from his face and holding them. "Look, Tori, um, I appreciate you saying all these and thank you. But the truth is that every girl I've pined after had ignored me or humiliated or picked on me. When I walk through the halls, I could clearly see the dislike and disdain in their eyes as they walk by me-and they take the effort to take a wide step around me!"

He shook his head as he let out an ironic chuckle. "Given my luck so far, even Sinjin probably is more lucky with girls than me."

Tori let out an unladylike snort. "Yeah, right. Compared to him, you're Beck." Robbie couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Hey, I'm serious!" Tori nudged him on the shoulder, but she was laughing too.

By the time the laughter dwindled down, Robbie had to admit to himself that he was sorta feeling better. Well, a lot more better than before Tori came in. The blanket of despair was now lightly resting upon his heart, but it wasn't wrapping around it as tightly as it had anymore.

Silence descended upon the two of them for several moments as Robbie looked at Tori, and she at him, smiling at her. Then realization hit him and he glanced down at their hands, which were intertwined. Not wanting to make Tori feel awkward, Robbie began to pull his hands away. He was surprised when Tori instead tightened her grip, grasping his hands firmly. He found himself looking into Tori's brown orbs for what seemed the umpteenth time.

Licking his suddenly-dry lips, Robbie was about to say something when Tori beat him to it.

Not with words, but with her mouth.

He was surprised - not unpleasantly - when Tori leaned forward and locked her lips into his in a chaste kiss. He was even more surprised when he found himself responding after a moment, closing his eyes. The kiss steadily grew deeper as Robbie slowly wrapped his arms around Tori's petite waist and she did the same around his neck, combing her hands through his thick curls.

Soon, the need for oxygen became too great and Robbie slowly disengaged his lips from Tori's, his lips tingling, his chest heaving slightly, his heart beating rapidly in said chest. Tori's lips was slightly swollen, her eyes were darker than usual, and her cheeks slightly rosy.

"Like I said, I was serious." She said, her voice laced with..._desire_? "When I said you would find a girlfriend someday, I really meant it. You're a great guy, and any girl would be lucky to have you. The reason you haven't found the right girl is...well..."

Tori looked shy for some reason.

"...because you haven't been looking in the right places, for what had been right in front of you the whole time."

Robbie stared at the beautiful girl right in front of him, his heart still beating. "Y-you mean..." He began to whisper.

Tori smiled, a twinkle in her eyes, and nodded. "Yes."

"I think you're swell."

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**A/N:** Yeah, I think it was sappy, but what the heck. Most romantic oneshots are. I'm sure you're developing cavities in your teeth by now, don't say I didn't warn you. Lol.

Oh, and by the way, Zen, now that this is theoretically a 'Rade' fanfic because there is some Rade in there, you owe me that oneshot you promised me. Lmao.

- GL


End file.
